Car-coupling



(No'Moaeli) E. J. LAHAN.

'GAR GUUPLING. No. 517,753. Y Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

ATTUHNEYS.

- head formed with the usual aring mouth,-

drawings, in which-- lTo a/ZZ whom t concern.-

NrT-nn STATns i PATENT Fries.

DWARD J. LAHAN, vOF QUINGY, ILLINOIS.

CAR-o'ouPLmc.

SPECIFICATION formingzpart of Letters Patent No. 517,753, dated. April 3, 1894. Application filed November 1ll 1893. Serial llo. 490,618.` (N o'model.)

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. LAHAN, residing at Quincy, in" the countyot Adams and` State of Illinois, have invented a new and lmprovedCanCoupling', of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient car coupling, which will automatically coupleV when the drawbeads come together, whereby the necessity of the brakeman or switchman going. between the cars is entirely'avoided, and in which the uncoupling operation can be effected from the sides or top of the car.

It has also for its object to provide a drawbut withits sides, top and bottom solid,`where bytheinteriorcoupling memberswillbe thereby the more effectively protected from the weather and such head rendered more'stable and compact.

With other minor objects in view, which will hereinafter appear, the invention'consists in such novel combination and peculiar ar-` rangement of parts as will be first described in detail and then pointed out in theclaims, reference being had to the accompanying Figurel is a perspective view of my improved coupler. Fig. 2 is aview of two drawheads, constructed in accordance with my invention, one of the drawheads beingl shown in longitudinal section. Fig. Sis a horizontal section of one of the drawheads on the line 3-3 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front View of one ofthe drawheads. Fig. 5 lis a perspective View of the coupling hook detached and Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofv a portion vof the combined coupling hook, pivot, and uncoupi ling bar, detached.

In the practical construction my improved coupling has its draw bar or shank A formed preferably hollow, its rear end terminating with the usual retaining shoulders a, whereby the draw bar isk held from ypulling out from its guide a; the rear end of the bar being also provided with a circular opening o2, whereby it will readily slide on the buer rod b, about which the spring B is held, in any approved manner. The front end of the bar terminates in. the head proper C, which as lshown most clearly in Fig. 3, is somewhat shorter longitudinally,` than the ordinary coupling heads, its sides being extended laterally' whereby a wide bumping face cis provided. It will be notice'dby referenceto Fig. 2, that the bottom of lthe head curves down as at c its upper or mortise face beingk approximately horizontal as at c2, and terminating at the front with the usual bevel portion c5. On the top, the head has a stop portion c4, which is reinforced by a straight portion c5, which connects it with the upper front edge c6, such construction providing a solid top portion, the lower or mortise face of which inclines downward and rea'rward'from the mouth flaring portion, as indicated by c7, centrally of which is formed a recess or seat C', the front end of which terminates at `the flared end o8 as most clearly, shown in Fig.'2.

Sio far as described, it will be noticed that the drawhead has its top, bottom and side walls formed solid, without au opening of any kind, such construction not only adding great strength to the head, but also entirely Akeeping rain or snow from entering the link chamber from the top and sides. The front upper or solid end of the head has a transverse aperture D whichv bisects the upper front end of the -recess C', and such aperture extends entirely across the drawhead as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, to form a long bearing for a combined pivot and uncoupling bar E which snugly tits, and is held to turn in such aperture.

F indicates a coupling member, in the na ture of a gravity latch, the upper end of which seats in the' upper front end of recess C and.`

is pivotallysupported on the bar E, while its lower weighted end has a notched hook 'portion f, which when at its'normal position ts a recess CX in the bottomof the drawhead, and abuts a stop shoulderl c5 as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. It lwill be noticed by reference to such figure and Fig. 4t, that the upper or pivot end of the latch is held within the recess C in such a manner, that such pivot end is cased in, as it were, and protected from the weather, as also laterally braced by the side walls of such recess, which construction, in connection with the recess in the bottom in which'the hook portion fts, serving to hold the latch rigid from sidewise movement, thereby relieving the rocker bar E from a twisting strain.

As a convenient means of attaching the latch to the bar E, I form the said bar with a feather c, which is adapted when inserted sldewise into the drawhead, to fit a splinef 1n the latch, see Figs. 2, 5 and 6. By pivoting the latch in the manner shown, a long and solid bearing therefor is provided, at the front end of the coupling through its upper solid portion, thereby avoiding the necessity of opening into the link mortise proper, as well as allowing for a long sweep for the lever or crank member E', formed on one end of the bar E. To further relieve the barE from a too great draft strain, the stop shoulder is arranged back of the vertical or pivotal axis of the latch, whereby the latch will be held inclincd rearwardly, and the rear edge of such latch is curved inwardlyas atf. By this ar rangement the greatest amount of pulling strain of the link H will be diagonally down-1 ward, against the stop shoulder C in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The latch recess it will be noticed extends rearward under the straight portion c5 of the top of the drawhead, in which the latch is thrown, as the link enters, it being understood that such latch drops by gravity between such link as its front end passes rearward into the mortise.

Any suitably arranged means may be employed for uncouplingthe cars from the sides or top of the car, such forinstance as shown in Fig. l.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it willbe readily scen that, the construction shown and described, embodies the elements of compactness, strength and eiiciency. The head is practically without an opening, other than its mouth,renderingit practically weather proof, and reducing the danger of the several parts being disconnected to the minimum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is t 1. An improved car coupling comprising a draw-head having its top, bottom and side walls formed solid, provided with a vertical abutting extension on its top, and a reinforce portion connecting such extension and the upper front edge of the head, said head having a link mortise formed with an upper face inclined from the front downward, said reinforce portion having a central longitudinal seat or recess terminating at the front at a point behind the upper front edge, a shaft journaled transversely in the upper solid edge of the head, passed through the front end of the aforesaid recess, a gravity pin j ournaled on such portion, adapted to snugly iit the said recess when pushed up, and having a stop portion adapted to engage the bottom of the link mortise to limit its down movement al1 substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. As an improvement in car couplers, the combination of the shank a,the head portion C, having a mortise formed with non-apertured top, bottom and side portions, and having its front or bumping face extended laterally, and formed at its upper end c(i with a transverse bearing, and having a reinforced portion provided with a recess C', its front end bisecting the transverse bearing, said reinforced portion terminating in an abutment c4, the bottom of mortise ofthe head having a recess provided with a stop c, at a point to the rear of the front end of the upper recess, the rock shaft E, the linkF having a keyed connection therewith and formed with a curved rear face f3 all arranged substan tially as shown and for the purposes described.

EDWARD J. LAHAN.

W'itnesses:

J oHN P. MoDoNNELL, THOMAS J. LAHAN. 

